


Color-struck

by kailthia



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Character Death, M/M, Soulmates, Soulmates AU, based off a drawing, color trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 00:48:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1920393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kailthia/pseuds/kailthia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One of those self-set "How many feels can I fit in 500 words" challenges. Based off one of BlueSparkle's drawings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Find the art that this is based on [here](http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/86534059318/soulmate-au-you-see-the-world-in-black-and-white).

It was Dwalin’s day off, and he was going down to the market to get something for his brother’s birthday. He had been so busy helping to get the guard system in Ered Luin set up that he had forgotten that Balin’s birthday was coming up; in fact, if Dís hadn’t cornered him on his way down to the practice field this morning (day off or no day off, he needed to keep in practice) and told him to go get something, he would never have remembered.

Which would have been bad.

Dwalin knew that there was a stall in the marketplace that sold a variety of teas for at-home use, and so he wandered in that direction, half-heartedly looking at various items available for sale on the way. As he passed a new milliner’s shop, Dwalin noticed that the owner hadn’t gotten their sign painted properly – there was insufficient shade differentiation for those dwarrows (like Dwalin) who didn’t have their colors. Dwalin _knew_ that there was text on the sign to accompany the picture of the hat, but most of the letters were only semi-visible.

            After stopping in at the store to tell the shopkeep of their error (Dwalin had been correct in assuming that it had been done by the owner, who had had his colors for years and so hadn’t noticed the problem), Dwalin began making his way to the tea stall in earnest. It was almost lunchtime, and he wanted to treat himself at his favorite restaurant before he went home.

He was passing by a vegetable stall, idly checking that no one in line was pushing or trying to force their way forward when it happened. It wasn’t obvious at first, a slow bleed of … difference … in the world, but the changes were soon too large to ignore.

Dwalin had heard about what colors looked like from those who had found their soulmates – Dís would occasionally reminisce about the blue of the sky or the bright blond of her husband’s hair, which apparently Fíli inherited. Víli’s death, a mere twenty-five years after their marriage, had taken Dís’ colors away again, but she could still _remember_ , and run her hands through Fíli’s hair with ill-concealed pain.   

Dwalin began looking around himself. Whoever his soulmate was, he or she should have begun to notice the colors as well. It only took one of a pair to see the other for the colors to appear for both.

There – a dwarrow, a few years younger than Dwalin, was looking around himself with a gobsmacked expression. His hair is mostly pulled back in a single braid, long and loose. Dwalin thinks that this unknown dwarrow is possibly the best thing he’s ever seen.

Dwalin has stopped dead in the middle of the road, staring. When the other dwarrow – what could his name be? – sees him staring, Dwalin blushes furiously, lost for words as he blinks, dumbfounded.

He does not think that he will be getting Balin’s tea today.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter based on the sequel for the drawing set of chapter 1. Decided to up my game with a "hoe many feels can go into 250 words" thing. Lots of feels.

Original Drawing [here](http://asparklethatisblue.tumblr.com/post/86687261683/soulmate-au-you-see-the-world-in-black-and-white). 

Old age was not something that Dwalin had been expecting. Death he had expected, but an ending of fire and blood and pain, paying his life’s debt in service to the Line of Durin. Instead, the cold has sept into his bones more with each passing winter, and he had remained, watching his loved ones and great events alike pass him by as he remained. Not that he usually regretted.

As Nori cracked another joke – far too obscene for someone his age – Dwalin tried to smile. He knew that his One was dying. It was just one more part of the joke that the Maker played on him, making him have such a long span of years. While his own hair was only lightly touched with grey, Nori’s was almost completely white. The growth in his chest meant that he tired easily, yet Nori was still as cheerful as ever. And as dirty-minded. Dwalin gave back his standard reply to Nori’s joke, watching to see if Nori needed more medicine.

            Nori was laying his head back on the pillow, still smiling. His eyes fluttered, then shut. Dwalin had a moment of clarity about the medicine, slowly putting the bottle back on the bedside table. Nori wouldn’t be needing any more after all.

As his husband’s body cools and his world fades to shades of grey, Dwalin let go of his tears and hoped that his own time of awakening in the Halls of Mahal was not so very far away.   


End file.
